West Philadelphia Orchestra Purim Celebration

Las Mariposas Galácticas is an 8-piece Cumbia Klezmer Punk band and cultural project based in Philadelphia, PA. Combining band membersʼ South American and Jewish ancestries, the band creates a unique diasporic sound that gets audiences everywhere dancing with rebellious joy. By honoring their Indigenous Andean musical ancestries, blended together with punkified ancient Jewish melodies, the band plays a mixture of original and classic tunes that span different languages, cultures, and genres. Las Mariposas have toured the east coast and collaborated with international acts such as the renowned Mexican rock band Los Cogelones and Argentinian Tropi-punk group Kumbia Queers. They have headlined the L.A.T.I.N. PunkFest in Philadelphia and NYC and continue to accompany their communitiesʼ struggle for liberation everywhere from prominent stages to cultural, activist and community spaces.

The West Philadelphia Orchestra is an avant village folk brass band that has been performing since 2006. You will find WPO at parties, stages, beer gardens, protests and wedding celebrations throughout the Philadelphia region. West Philadelphia Orchestra found inspiration in the Romani brass "orkestars" and "fanfares" of Eastern Europe. Known for stellar musicianship and dynamic live shows, the bandʼs sound is vibrant, powerful and extremely danceable. WPO plays a wide-range of music, including traditional Balkan music (emphasis on Serbian and Macedonian repertoire), klezmer music rooted in Philadelphiaʼs klezmer tradition, New Orleans brass and 60s free jazz, in addition to punk, soul, hip hop frevo and ska. On stages and their many recordings, the band focuses on their original compositions which meld all of those influences together. Catch them at parties and on the streets and you'll hear them playing whatever feels right for the moment. They have collaborated with artists and ensembles as varied as RJD2, Dr. Dog, Martha Graham Cracker, Johnny Showcase and the Trisha Brown Dance Company. With driving percussion, yawping tuba, wailing reeds and blaring trumpets, WPO's sound hits hard and lifts the spirits. WPO began as a village band for their neighborhood in 2006, performing at parks, rocking street festivals and collaborating with community theaters. Theyʼve released a few albums over the years - WPO in 2008, Live at Tritone in 2012, and Tour de Filly in 2016. They have also released numerous singles and two EPs in 2023: The Cosmic Trilogy (on The Giving Groove label) and Af Purim (on Fly Bottle Records). They have performed at various festivals, including Ollin Kan (Mexico City), Philadelphia Folk Festival, Golden Fest (NYC), and various versions of the Honk! festival. Many of WPO's members are also music educators (Play on Philly, Clef Club, Germantown Friends, the George School, etc.) and the band has given workshops and performances at University of the Arts, Appel Farms Music and Arts Camp, and various regional high schools.